STB-AU88
ANCIENT SYMBOLIC PENALTIES
by
K.W. Aldridge
We want To thank Most Worshipful Hrother Aldridge. PGM/Grand
Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Quebec for this provocative Short
Talk Bulletin. The ancient penalties in our obligations have been
the source of much of the criticism levelled at Freemasonry. Most
Worshipful Brother Aldridge deals with this criticism in a
stimulating way.
The United Grand Lodge of England being in many respects the
well-spring of modern day Masonry is a valuable source of
inspiration, education and philosophy concerning what has come to
be regarded as RECULAR FREEMASONRY. The recent decision by the
United Grand Lodge of England, followed by a number of American
Grand Lodges, to eliminate the Ancient Penalties from the
obligation of each degree has caused much discussion within the
Masonic Fraternity.
The purpose of this article is to discuss an alternative
approach to the actual elimination of these Ancient Penalties.
Before proceeding further in this dissertation concerning the
ANCIENT PENALTIES it needs to be pointed out that these penalties
were not the brainchild of some distant Masonic ritualist. These
or very similar variations of them were in use in England among
the oaths taken by mariners during the 15th century and were also
used in oaths assumed by those being admitted to the bar in
London, England during the 16th century.
If Freemasonry has erred in the choice of these penalties it
was in the reference to them as "ANCIENT PENALTIES" rather than
what they really were--"ANCIENT SYMBOLIC PENALTIES". As
Shakespeare's Hamlet said, "...ah there's the rub". These
penalties were never included for the purpose of having an enforceable violent penalty. They were included simply as a
symbolic representation of how seriously a postulant should view
his oath.
Some would say if these are simply symbolic then remove them
since they no longer mean anything. That is somewhat misleading
because so much of what we have around us and which we hold so
dear in this troublesollle world is recorded in symbols ot all
kinds. Symbolism is part of life and cannot be cast aside.
Mathematicians, geologists, in fact anyone whose discipline
relies on the use of numbers or numeric expressions, relies on
symbols as an everyday experience. The simple act, though not
always simple, of driving a car depends on the use of symbols to
arrive safely at the intended destination. The numbers on the
speedometer are symbols, various designs on highway signs are
symbols, the little knobs on the dashboard all have different
symbols. They are there to ensure understanding regardless of
the language of the operator. So it may be concluded that symbols
are an effective means of communication to ensure accurate
understanding regardless of language, education or intellect. In
fact your ability to read this paper is based on your
understanding of the symbols or letters used to express my
thoughts.
"Oh yes", some may say ". . .but these are all symbols lacking
any violent origin". That may not be entirely accurate either.
Many symbols in use today depict a violent beginning and their
design is intended to remind us of that hazard. So it may be
concluded violent symbols are effective communication links to
save us from harm. The simplest being the skull and crossbones as
a symbol of life threatening danger and of course the modern
nuclear era has spawned untold violent symbols especially
designed to protect us from violent hazards.
Even the flags of many nations which certainly are revered
and honored by their nationals, and displayed in their places of
worship, use red as a symbol of the spilled blood which caused
their nations to be born. The red poppy worn so reverently in
memory of our soldiers who died in battles to defend our country
is a symbol of the blood spilled in battle on Flanders Fields
during World War One. The buttons on the sleeve of a man's
jacket and the little slit under the buttons are symbols of the
time a man's jacket unbuttoned all the way to the shoulder so
that he might have easy use of his sword. The vent at the back of
a man's jacket is a symbol of the time soldiers rode horseback.
The vent allowed their jackets to fall on either side of the
riders' legs and so keep his powder dry to more effectively kill
his adversary. Quite a nice little symbol to carry around with us
when dressed in our Sunday best.
Now to get back to our ANCIENT SYMBOLIC PENALTIES. Why on
earth should we even consider relocating or removing them in the
first place? "Oh because they are offensive to some religious
leaders". That begs the question as to which religious leaders?
Some of the greatest clergymen I have ever met, both the
pragmatic and the scholarly, have been members of the Masonic
Order. Not a single one of those extremely worldly wise reverend
brothers ever dreamed of any part of the ceremony being of-
fensive in any manner whatever, INCLUDING the penalties.
Obviously no clergy outside of the craft should cause us any
concern because they really don't understand the context of the
ceremony or the part the penalties play in it. Now what does that
leave us to contemplate? I believe it points out in the clearest
possible terms that the Masonic Order is a true microcosm of the
real world in which we live.
We have our own fair share of iconoclasts whose aim is to tear
down rather than to build constructively.
However, their arguments are not too compelling if analyzed.
They suggest that violence is an offense to God. Yet both Moses
and Jesus had recourse to violence in defending what they
believed was an affront to God. Notwithstanding that argument or
counter-argument there is no violence in Masonry provided the
penalties are described as ANCIENT SYMBOLIC PENALTIES. Anything
less than that description is an offense to God and Masonry. It
is not good enough to describe them as ANCIENT PENALTIES since
that implies that they are exigible and therein we could be
faulted from within and without this noble craft.
At a time when the Scandinavian Churches are seeing in Masonry
no conflict with their profession of faith, where leading
clerics of the Church of Rome are finding no incompatibility
between Regular Freemasonry and their belief of Christianity
and those who malign us the most are being found to be guilty
of criminal and moral law breaking, we must be sure we stand by
what we teach. We must continue to conduct the affairs of Masonry
in a manner well beyond reproach.
We must not allow indiscriminate changes to be made. Once the
start is made where do we stop? Would we consider dropping the
investigations of potential candidates, would we discontinue
the trial procedures, would we allow avowed atheists to become
part of our fraternity, would we allow and tolerate plots or
conspiracies of any kind? Certainly we would not do any of those
things.
We are assembled to unify, in a God fearing brotherhood,
wherein we can unite in spirit to treat all of God's children as
family. We cannot do that effectively by allowing schisms to
develop. We must be unified for the benefit, not solely for our
Order, but to better serve mankind in whatever manner God leads
us as individuals who have learned to recognize our duty to him
and our Brother. There will always be room for change in
administrative practices but we should not change that which has
worked so well heretofore and for which there is no substantive
reason to consider change!
SO MOTE IT BE
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